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US military builds massive metal pier amid Biden’s $320 million bid to bring aid to Gaza

The US military has completed construction of a massive metal pier that is expected to be driven into a beach in northern Gaza in the coming days, officials said.

Completing the massive makeshift structure, roughly 1,500 feet long or the length of five American football fields, is the first step in the Biden administration’s two-month, $320 million bid to open a sea route to deliver humanitarian aid. through the eastern Mediterranean. and in Gaza, where Israel continues to wage war with the terrorist group Hamas.

Construction of the new floating dock and causeway is risky for President Biden and the Pentagon as aid delivery teams face unknown dangers and uncertainties as they attempt to navigate the challenges of getting aid to Gaza across the Rafah border. .

“In the coming days, you will be able to see this effort underway. And we are confident that we will be able, working with our NGO partners, to ensure that aid can be delivered,” Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told Pentagon reporters. secretary said Tuesday, noting that humanitarian groups were ready for the first shipments through the new U.S. sea route.

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In this image provided by the U.S. Army, Soldiers assigned to the 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary) and sailors attached to the MV Roy P. Benavidez assemble the Roll-On, Roll-Off Distribution Facility (RRDF ), or floating dock, off the coast of Gaza in the Mediterranean Sea on April 26, 2024. (US Army via AP)

The administration’s effort to open the additional sea route comes as the escalating war between Israel and Hamas has moved closer to the land crossings at Rafah.

Scott Paul, associate director of the humanitarian organization Oxfam, described the sea route as “a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist,” because land crossings could bring all the aid needed, he said.

Paul suggested that the amount of aid allowed to be sent to Gaza depends on whether Israeli officials allow it. Some officials have expressed concern that the aid could fall into the hands of Hamas, the same terrorists Israel seeks to eliminate from Palestinian territory.

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“Like all land crossings, it all comes down to the consent of the Israeli government,” Paul said. “If Israel is comfortable allowing the sea corridor to operate… then it will operate on a limited basis. And if they don’t, it won’t. So it’s a very, very expensive alternative.”

A photo of the floating dock.

The dock is part of the Army’s Joint Logistics Overshore (JLOTS) system that provides critical bridge and water access capabilities. (US Army via AP)

Ophir Falk, foreign policy adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said on Tuesday that the country had allowed thousands of aid trucks into Gaza and would continue to do so.

Falk accused Hamas of disrupting aid distribution by hijacking and attacking convoys.

The Israeli military said in a statement Tuesday that it will continue to act in accordance with international law to distribute aid to Gaza. He has also previously said there are no limits to aid.

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised Biden to allow more aid in and safeguard those workers.

Trucks carrying aid and supplies.

Construction crews backed by the US military in the eastern Mediterranean created a massive metal pier, completing the first part of the Biden administration’s $320 million effort to open a sea route to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Anastasia Moran, associate director of the International Rescue Committee, a global humanitarian group, said truckloads of aid entering Gaza increased 13% last month.

The war between Israel and Hamas has been particularly deadly for Palestinian civilians residing in Gaza, with Palestinian health officials estimating that more than 35,000 have died. Israeli officials estimate the number of civilian deaths to be approximately 16,000 civilians. A May 8 UN report found that the number of women and children killed so far in the war is just under 13,000.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.


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